Brake for aximinster loom weft needles



Oct. 1 1947. H. A. WHITIN 2,429,005

BRAKE FOR AXMINSTER oom WEFT NEEDLES Filed Nov. 13,- 19 45 3Sheets-Sheet 1 FiG-l I Inventor e m i j fluorne; V

Oct. '14, 1947. H. A. WHITIN BRAKE FOKAXMINSTER Loom WE-FTNEE'DLES FiledNov. 13, 1945 S-Sheets-Sheet Inventor Herbert 4 Min in Patented Oct. 14,1947 UNITED STATES BRAKE FOR AXMINSTER L NEEDLES WEFT Herbert A. Whitin,Worcester, Mass, assignor to .Crompton &'Knowles L0 oin Works,Worcester,

v lljlass', a corporation oi? .t-w A. Applicationltlovember 13, 1 9 lSerial i,8, 2 0 9 This invention relates to brakes for the weft needleor Axminster moms and it is the general .object of the invention toprovide means for bringing the brake to rest as soon as the loom hasstopped to preventpth'eineedle .from drawing off "excess weft.

AXminster looms employ a long weft needle which moves along a railintoand out of the warp shed for the 'pur'pbs'e'of laying the weftor'filling :which "is' thre'addlthrough the free end of the 12' c ai s.(01: igaq zg needle; Asthe'needle is'insertedinto' the shed weft isdrawn from the stationary packageof yarn to form a; loop through whichthe selvage shuttle moves iwhen theineedle is fully inserted.intocthe'slied. 'If theloomishould stop With the needle "partlyinserte'dinto the shed it has been found that theineedlewhen driven bymechanisms heretofore'useddoes not come to rest instantaneouslybuttendstocont'inue its motion due to stretch and bending of certainparts of the driving mechanism; after which the needle recovers itselfand has a reverse motion so that ultimately the needle comes to restatapoint' corresponding W0 he po nt at wh chthe loom stops-- T e fo;ward m ti n o j-thegneed e due' o t mo e tum loweve draws qf sh rtleneh of we t which is likely tobecome looped' around the free end o t eon el with; r sultant b a e of the Wef 6 1:the loom is asailiste ted- It isan importantobjeot of my present invent ion to apply a brakingforce tothe needle at a point close to the-needle as soon as-;the loomis s pe sha t e t te chins an nd ng of cha ts i bezre ced to va-.m m m- I Certaina types of AXmin-ster looms employ a so-called multiple sheave needlemotion made a t hev rin i set r h in P n P t 0 2i. 9. em n a l ne cabl hend f wh h ar fi j i s'pwt to eac he and e t j mediateportions of whichare trained around sheaves so'meof which are stationary and others ptwhich move during loom operation. The cable is eq edi an ee le' arn ae amo io of the movable sheaves imparts motion to the need e eer ege andthe eedl n nee operating-mechanism of this typeit is found t at.

t ca e sfie istio slimm s r h QPB mi li he sa pr e dsun mb r q n of theedt when the loom is stopped.- ;{Ifhe cable extends fr m .therieedlecarriage along the needle rail to one of the stationary sheayesand it isan imbb an Object o m Pre en in t n to efipiy "braking iriahslt thislast named sheave whener the 100517 is .st'

ipped; By this construction v loom needle motion or ing myinventiofnapplied thereto,

ther a er wi hin lei nt xe motion oi? an objectionable amount of wefti,

the loom motor, and

at the time of loom stoppage and the excess travel or the needle due to'its momentum is greatly re duced.""= 1 Itis another object of my presentinvention to provide anelectric solenoid control for the brake soconstructed that-the solenoid isenergized dur i-ng loom'operation -t-odisable'the brake but as soon astheloom is stopped: the circuit of thesolenoid is" broken andthe brake spring immediately sets the brake shoesagainsta drum moving with the aforesaid stationary-sheave. The loommotor is also'provided-with a brake normallyidisabled by a solenoid"during loom 'operation, and it is'a further object of my invention toprovide electric circuit means for the solenoids ofrboth the needlebrake and the loommotor effective to deenergize the solenoids atthesa-nie instant. By this cons ruc on bath o .t e b ak s a e a plied ate same time with the *resu-ltthat the needle'oomes to rest when the loomis st opped .or' very shortly to draw Wit h se smothe ob e i w which llappear as the description proceeds; my invention resides in thecombination F and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and setforth.

In theaccompanyingdrawings,wherein a convenient embodiment'of myinvention is set forth,

Fig 1 shows a-tront elevation of an Axminster operating mechanismhav-Fig; 2 is an enlarged end elevation looking in Fig. 3 is a frontelevationilookingin the direction ofarrow 3,Fig. 2, l Tl Fig'. 4 isanenlar ged view looking in the direction of arrow 4,1Fig, 1, settirg}forth the'brake for Fig.5 is a diagrammatic view of an electriccirc'uit fo'r controlling the solenoids at both the needlebrakeandthe'lo'om motor... i

Referring particularly "to liig. '1, I vhave shown a m nameo from therightend of which 4 extends an auiiili'ar'y frame QIII. supborting th'e-nzounted a bevel gear J3. 'Ijhelatteng'earnieshes with a ibe'vel pinionI tatable' in theauxiliary fram and; provided with right end of adrivinglshaft Hon which lis 1'4" secured to asha ft 1'5 r6- 2' cranklfij A eonneet'or-en isoperatively'intrposed between the crank T6 and ai lever." [8 which is supported on two 'IinkS the upper ofjwhichindicated "at is is j pivoted at :20 .With respect toilthe etishism"frame and the lower' r which indicated at 2 l'is'pivot'ed as am-2'o'nthe frame. I Li A lever 51 and arm 56 link I9, and as crank I8rotates during loom operation lever I8 is rocked toward and from theframe Ill.

The upper end of lever I8 has rotatably mounted thereon movable sheaves25 around which are trained certain portions of a flexible cabledesignated generally at 26. One end ofthis cable is fixed with respectto the auxiliary frame as at 21, While the other end thereof is fixed asat 28. Right andleft sheaves 3i] and 3|, respectively, are rotatablewith respect to the auxiliary frame. A single sheave 32 is mounted onthe right hand part of auxiliary frame II and a second single sheave 33is mounted at the left end of the auxj iliary frame. The cable 23 istrained around the movable and stationary sheaves and is connected as at35 to a needle carriage 38 slidab-le backwardly and forwardly on aneedle rail 3! supported in part by the auxiliary frame and in part byan upright 38. Frame II has an outer extension 49 on which is mountedthe sheave 32, this extension lying under and being substantiallyparallel to the needle rail 31. 'A weft needle N is secured to thecarriage 36. and has an eye 33 through which the weft W is threaded.

. A motor M is fixed to the bottom of the auxiliary frame and isprovided with a pinion 45 meshing with a gear 46 secured to the shaftI2. As shown in Fig. 4 the motor is provided with a brake drum 48 forcooperation with brake shoes 43 and 55. A lever 5| pivoted at 52 to theauxiliary frame II has shoe 49 pivoted thereon as at 53, and the upperend of lever 5| is attached to a rod 55 which extends to the left and isconnected to the-short arm 56 of a brake controlling lever 51. A secondshoe lever 68 is pivoted as at 3| to the auxiliary frame and has theshoe 50 pivoted thereon as at 62. Levers 51 and 6!} are pivoted to eachother at 63. 7

A solenoid 65 has a core 65 connected as at 31 to theleft end of lever51. A compression spring 68 is interposed between an extension on lever60 and a bar 59 having a pin 18 which is received by a slot II ontheunder side of lever 51.

Under normal running conditions solenoid 65 is energized so that thecore 65 is pulled down and lever 5i exerts a downward force on pin IIIto compress spring 68. Pin I acts as a pivot for is to the right asviewed in Fig. 4. The brake levers and 63 are separated and the brake isoff. When the solenoid 65 is deenergized the spring expands, lifting thelever 51 and moving the arm 53 to the left, see Fig. 4, as the brakeshoes are set to stop the loom motor.

During loom operation the sheave lever I8 is rocked back and forthandthe cable 26 causes movement of the needle carriage 36 along the rail37, moving the needle N into the warp shed not shown to lay a doublepick of weft, and then retracting the needle. It is not thoughtnecessary to describe the details of the operation of the sheaves andcable since they are the same as set forth in the aforesaid Paynepatent. That part of the cab-1e extending from the outer single sheave32 to the needle carriage is designated at I0 and is the part whicheffects removal of the needle from the warp shed and is also'the partwhich follows the needle carriage when the needle i being inserted intothe warp shed.

The matter thus far described is of usual construction and operatesinthe ordinary manner and of itself forms no part of my present inventionexcept. as noted hereinafter.

" In carrying my present invention into effect I provide brake mean-sfor the sheave 32 operative 4 through the section 19 of the cable 23 toarrest movement of the needle more particularly when it is beinginserted into the warp shed. Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and3, it will be seen that the needle rail 31 is provided with a stud I5 onwhich the sheave 32 rotates. The sheave is made of flat material such asa phenol condensation product and has a rear plate 15 and a front flangeI1 between which the sheave is tightly clamped by means of screws orbolts I8.

Flange II has formed integral therein a hollow drum 8i] rotating withthe sheave 32 between right and left brake shoes 8| and 82, see Fig. 3.Shoe 8| is pivoted as at 83 to a brake lever 82 pivoted as at 85 to astationary support 83 on stand 31 fixed to extension 49. In similarmanner shoe $32 is pivoted to a lever 88 pivoted at 89 to the bearingpart 85.

Tension springs 92 have the right and left ends thereof connectedrespectively to hooked heads 9| and 92 pivoted at 83 to levers 84 and85, respectively. Adjusting screws 93 in each head engage the associatedlever for the purpose of varying the tension of springs 9|].

Mounted on support 83 is a solenoid 95 having a core 93 the upper partof which has rotatable thereon a ml 91. A lever 98 has the left endthereof extending under roll 91 while the right hand thereof is pivotedas at 99 to lever 88. A link I36 is pivoted as at IIlI to a part oflever 98 and has the other end thereof adjustably connected to the upperend of lever 84 as at I92.

In order to provide for vertical adjustment of the solenoid, the brakeshoes and their levers the support 81 is provided with a foot IIilthrough which passes a vertical adjusting screw II I bearing against ashelf II2 formed on a bracket II3 held as at I I4 to the extension 49 ofthe auxiliary frame II. A bolt II5 connects the stand 8? with thebracket H3 and cooperates with vertical adjusting screw III to hold thesupport 87 in adjusted vertical position.

Solenoids 65 and 95 are so connected electrically that they are bothenergized and deenergized simultaneously. A circuit for effecting thisresult is set forth in Fig. 6 wherein the wires of a threephase powerline which supplies electric power for the motor M are indicated at I20,I2I and I22. A three-pole switch I23 is provided to connect the powerline wires with wires I24, I25 and I26 which run to the motor'M. Themotor brake solenoid 65 is connected by wires I30 and I3I to switchcontrolled wires I24 and I25, while the sheave brake solenoid 95 isconnected by wires I35 and I36 to wires I25 and I26. It will thus beseen that whenever switch I23 is closed both the solenoids 65 and 95 areenergized and their associated brakes are moved to non-braking position.'Whenever switch I 3 is open both of the solenoids become deenergized,whereupon their associated springs set the corresponding brake shoes toeffect'stoppage of the motor and rotation of sheave 32.

Under normal condition of operation the brake shoes BI and 82 areinnon-brakin position and sheave 32 is free to rotate first in onedirection and then in the other as the needle is inser ted into andremoved from the warp shed. If for any reason the loom should be stoppedby opening of switch I23, solenoid 95 willbecome deenergized, whereuponsprings will apply the brake shoes 8| and 82 against the hollow drum 80which is secured to and turns with the sheave 32. This application ofthe brake at sheave 32 occurs simultaneously with application of the ,75. alie t the actor. The s'hort fse'ction 'lfl 'of the ble 26 betweensheave 32 and the needle car'- e 36 ilhdrg s very'littl stretch duringthe w pingoperation, hence the needle is brought to rest atsubstantially the same time the loom is stopped. The cable is unders'ufiicient tension to have close frictional contact with the severalsheaves around which it is trained and stopping of sheave 32 will actthrough the frictional engagemeat hetween the cable and this sheave tostop the needle carriage.

As previously indicated the reason for using the brake at the sheave 32is to prevent excess increment of the needle after the loom has beenstopped for the purpose of preventing the needle ,fiorn' drawing off anobjectionable amount of weft This drawing of]? is particularlyobjection- "a e while the needle is being inserted into the d and itwill be noted that the brake is ap- V to that sheave of system ofsheaves, namely sheave; 32, from which the shortsection 70 of the cableleads to the needle carriage. Applicationof the brake to sheave 32 whenthe needle is being moved out of the warp shed will operate through theremaining length of the cable in which there may be some appreciablestretch, bjut there is no likelihood that excess Weft will be drawn onif the needle is stopped when being retracted from the as may occur inthat part of the cable other than the section 10 will not be accompaniedby harmful results or entanglement of excess weft with the eye end ofthe needle; I F

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means forstopping the needle of an Axminster loom simultaneously with stoppage ofthe loom. I accomplish this result by use of a brake which is applied toone of the sheaves in the so-called multiple sheave needle operatingmechanism. It will also be seen that the brake, is applied to that partof the system of sheaves set forth particularly in Fig. l from which thecable leads by a short section 10 the "stretch of which is negligible.It will also be 36cm that the brake is controlled through a solenoidwhich is normally energized during loom operation to disable the brakebut which becomes deenergized whenever the loom motor circuit opens topermit application of brake shoes 81 and 82 by means of spring Hill. Itwill further be noted that both the motor and sheave 32 are providedwith the same general character of brake mechanism, that is, eachemploys a spring normally disabled by a solenoid during loom operation,and it is for this reason that the two brakes become effective atsubstantially the same time.

Having thus described my invention it Will be seen that changes thereinby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details hereindisclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loom having a needle for laying weft, an operatingcable for the needle, attaching means operatively connecting the cableto the needle, sheave means for said cable including a sheave from whichthe cable leads directly to said attaching means when the needle isbeing inserted into the warp shed, actuating means effective to movesaid cable in a direction to cause said attaching means and needle tomove away from said sheave, and a brake for said sheave operative tostop rotation of the latter when said actuating means stops operating.

2. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying and modifications may bemadewarp shed and such stretch V detects needle and operated by anelectric motor,- a weft laying needle v actuating mechanism for theneedle operated bypower derived from the m0.- tor, electromagnetic brakemeans for the actuating means and needle normally inoperative to stopthe needle during loom operation, and means causing the electro-magneticbrake means to stop the actuating means and needle when said actuatingmechanism stops due to stoppage of said motor.

3. In an Axminster loom having an electric driving motor therefor,electromagnetic brake means for the motor, a weft laying needle, drivingmechanism operatively connecting the motor to the needle and causingmovement of the needle into the warp shed by power derived from themotor, another electro-magnetic brake means in non-braking positionduring loom operation but capable when in braking position to causestoppage of the needle, and control means causing simultaneous operationof both of said electro-magnetic brake means to stop the needle by thebrake means corresponding thereto whenever the motor is stopped by thebrake means corresponding therefor. V

4. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying needle movable along aneedle rail, the loom having provision for being stopped at any point oftravel of the needle along the rail, ah electromagnetic brake for theneedle normally in nonbraking position, and means causing saidelectromagnetic brake to move to braking position to stop the needlewhenever the loom is stopped.

5'. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying needle, 2. flexibleoperating cable connected to the needle, actuating mechanism to move thecable and cause the latter to give the needle a weft laying stroke,brake means normally in inoperative position during loom operation butmoving to operative position when the actuating mechanism stops, andmeans moving with the cable and having motion thereof stopped by thebrake means when the latter moves to operative position.

6'. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying needle, a carriage for theneedle, afiexible operating cable connected to the carriage, actuatingmeans moving during loom operation and causing the cable to give theneedle a weft laying stroke, a sheave around which the cable is trainedand from which the cable extends tangentially directly to the needlecarriage when the needle is having a weft laying stroke, a brake forsaid sheave, and means to cause said brake to stop rotation of saidsheave upon stoppage of said actuating means.

'7. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying needle, a carriage for theneedle, an actuating cable operatively connected to the carriage,driving mechanism moving the cable during loom operation and causing thecable to give the needle 2. weft laying stroke, a guide sheave for thecable having tight frictional engagement with the cable during the weftlaying stroke and from which the cable leads directly'to the carriage,brake mechanism for the sheave, and means causing said brake mechanismto stop the sheave upon stoppage of the driving mechanism and therebystop the cable and needle.

8. In an Axminster loom having a driving motor therefor and a weftlaying needle which is given an operating weft laying stroke by a forcederived from the motor, two electro-magnetic brakes, and means causingsimultaneous operation of said brakes and capable of causing said 7simultaneous operation at any time during the weft laying stroke of theneedle, one of said brakes acting to stop the motor and the other ofsaid brakes acting to stop movement of the needle.

9. In an Axminster loom having a weft laying needle and weft threadedthrough the eye of the needle, actuating mechanism for the needle, a.flexible member operatively connecting the needle to the actuatingmechanism, said needle due to the flexibility of said member tending tocontinue traveling during a weft laying stroke thereof subsequent tostoppage of the actuating mechanism, and means operatively connected tothe flexible member along a length thereof between the needle and saidactuating mechanism to apply a braking force to the flexible member andneedle and reduce said tendency upon stoppage of said actuatingmechanism.

10. In weft needle operating mechanism for an Axminster loom having adriving motor, a brake for the motor normally in off position duringloom operation and moving to on position to stop the motor when 100moperation stops, an oscillating lever, driving connections between themotor and the lever to oscillate the latter when the motor is operating,a weft needle, a flexible ca-ble operatively connecting the lever andneedle to cause movement of the latter due to oscillation of the lever,a guide sheave for the cable engaging part of the cable along a lengththereof between the lever and needle, a brake for said sheave, and meanscausing operation of the brake for the sheave whenever the brake for themotor operates to stop the latter.

11. In weft needle operating mechanism for an Axminster 100m having adriving motor and a weft needle, an oscillating lever operativelyinterposed between the motor and the needle, operating connectionsbetween the motor and the lever causing oscillation of the latter duringloom operation, flexible cable operating connections between the leverand the needle causing movement of the latter when the lever oscillates,said lever when moving in one direction placing part of the cable undertension to move the needle in one direction and cause the needle to drawthe other part of the cable along therewith, said lever when moving inthe opposite direction placing said other part of the cable undertension to move the needle in the opposite direction and causing theneedle to draw said first along therewith, a sheave ene parts of thecable, a brake for said sheave normally in non-braking position duringloom operation, and means causing the brake for the sheave to arrestmotion of the latter when the motor stops during movement of said leverin either of said directions of movement thereof.

12. In an Axminster loom operating with a driving motor and having aweft needle, 2. train of driving connections between the motor andneedle including an oscillating lever and driving connections betweenthe motor and the lever to oscillate the latter when the motor runs,said train including also flexible cable means connecting the lever tothe needle to cause movement of the latter when the lever oscillates,two brake means, one for the motor adjacent to one end of said train andthe other for the cable means adjacent to the other end of said train,said brake means both being in off position during loom operation, andmeans causing both of said brakes to move to on position simultaneouslywhenever the loom is stopped at any point in the loom cycle, the brakefor the motor arresting the latter and the connections between the motorand the lever, and the other brake arresting the cable connectionsbetween the lever and the needle.

part of the cable gaging one of said HERBERT A. WHITIN.

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